Fruit-gatherer.



F. A. CREED.

FRUIT GATHERER- APPLICAT|0N FILED ran. 4, 1915. RENEWED MAY 3.191s.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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FRUIT GATHERER. APPLICATION men FEB. 4. ms. RENEWED MAY 3.191s.

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FRUIT-GATHERER.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t nt d D9 10, 1913';

Application filed February 4., 1915, SeriaI No. 6,116. Renewed. May 3,1918. Serial No. 232,378. I

To all whom it may concern: V

Be it known that I, FRED A. CREED, a citi zen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Gatherers; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in vthe art to whichit appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to fruit gatherers, and is particularly adapted for use in gathering prunes or other fruit which is allowed to ripen and fall from the tree before same is collected.

The object of the invention resides in the provision of a fruitgatherer .of the character named embodying novel features of construction whereby desired fruit may be easily and quickly gathered, and the slow and tiresome method of collecting same from the ground entirely eliminated.

A further object of the invention resides in the construction of a device of this character which may be compactly folded when not in use so that same will occupyaminimum amount of space and the handling, shipping and storing of same facilitated.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and-combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is. a perspective view showing the improved fruit gatherer applied to a tree, the rim element of one of the sections of the gatherer being swung to a position so as to not interfere with the delivery of the fruit from that section into a suitable receptacle;

Fig. 2, a transverse section taken on Fig. 1 just above the central connecting ring of the device;

Fig. 3, a perspective view of the central connecting ring of the device with the free ends of the sections of said ring out of interlocking relation;

Fig. 4, a perspective view of one of the sections of the device with the rim element elevated; I

Fig. 5, a perspective view of one of the sections of the device with the fabric en tirely removed, and n Fig. 6, a perspective view of. one ofthe leg members of the device. i f

Referring to the drawings the invention is shown as comprising a centralconnecting ring A and a plurality of segmental sections B radiating from said ring. The connecting ringA is formed of pivotally connected sections 10 and 11 thefree ends of which. are provided respectivelyiwith'an eye 12 and a hook 13 adapted tobe engaged through the eye to secure the'ringaround the trunk of a tree. The sections 10 and 11 are provided at spaced points with eye members 11 for a purpose that wi'll'presently ap pear. V The sections B each comprises an outer member 15 and side members 16 and 17, said side members being pivotally con nected to the terminalsofthe outer member 15 by means of interlocking hooks and eyes 18 and 19 respectively, the former being formed on the terminals of thememberlo. The side members 16 and: 17 are provided' intermediate their ends respectively with eyes 20, while the member l5.is provided at spaced points with eyes 21. The'free ends of the side members 16 andfl17, are provided respectively with hooks 22 adapted to be engaged over the ring in setting up the device as will be obvious. Each section B further comprises arim frame 23 provided with arms 24: the free ends of which are pivotally engaged through the eyes 20. The. side members 16 and 17 are connected by a fabric 25, while the edge of said fabric adjacent the member 15 is provided with hooks 26 adapted to be engaged in respective eyes 21. The rim frame 23 is also covered with fabric 27.

The device may be made up of three or more sections B and in setting'the device up the arms 16 and 17 have their hook terminals 22 engaged over the ring A, while adjacent sections B are supported by legs 28 the upper ends of which are provided with prongs '29 detachably engaged through ad- 'jacenteyes 19. When the device is thus set Enron.

by gravity into a suitable receptacle. operation is repeated for each section until sary to swing the rim frame 23 away from the member and then disengage the hooks 26 from the eyes 21 when the fruit on the fabric 25 of a given section B can be fog-pied all the fruit is gathered. v

The ring A is adapted to be suspended at a desired elevation through the medium of chains 0 which are engaged around the limbs of a tree and have their lower ends connected with respective eyes 14. i

It will be further obvious that the device is so constructed that the various parts can be easily and quicklyv detached from each connecting ring adapted to be secured in encircling relation to a tree trunk-ata desired elevation, a plurality of independent segmental framesv formed independently of the ring and having their inner ends detachably connected with saidring, means for supporting theouter ends of said frames, and a fabric connecting the members of each frame. i a

2; A fruit gatherer comprising a central I connecting. ring adapted to be" secured in encircling relation to a tree trunk at a de- Gopiesof this atent may be obtained-for sired elevation, a plurality of independent segmental frames having their inner ends detachably connected with said ring, means for supporting the outer ends of said frames, and a fabric connecting the members of each frame, the outer edge of each fabric being of greater length than the corresponding side of the related frame and detachably connected to the corresponding member of the frame;

3. A fruit gatherer comprising a central connecting ring adapted to be secured in encircling relation to a tree trunk at a desired elevation, a plurality of independent segmental frames having their inner ends detachably connected with said ring, means for supporting the outer endsof said frames, a fabric connecting themembers of each frame, and a rim member pivoted to each frame and movable to and from a position contiguous with the outer member of the frame.

4. A fruit gatherer comprising a central connecting ring adapted to be secured in encircling relation to the trunk of a tree at a desired elevation, a plurality of independent segmental frames having their inner ends detachably connected with saidfring, legs supporting the outer ends of said frames, a fabric connecting the members of each frame, the upper end of each leg embodying a pair of supporting arms engaged respectively with adjacent frames.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. f

V V FRED A. OREED. Witnesses F. W. CRAWFORD,

A. J. NAGLE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. a a a 

